Of woods and childhood

SUKANT DEEPAK

Ever since childhood, she has loved the outdoors. Not having much of that growing up in Kuwait, the woods and forests have always fascinated author Preethi Menon. While going on safaris or watching birds with her husband, a keen photographer, different ideas started brewing in her head. "That is how I thought of converting my experiences into stories for little children and get them to wonder and appreciate the rich faunal diversity spread across India," the author, whose book 'When the Jungles Whisper!' (Harper Collins Children's Books) recently hit the stands, says. In the book, during their summer vacation, Kanna and Molu discover a treasure trove of information on endangered birds and animals in India through a book their grandmother reads to them. The short stories, in alphabetical order, take the children to many nooks and corners of the jungles and forest reserves spread across the country. Considering much information about endangered species is already out there - documentaries, in encyclopaedias, articles and websites, Menon says that in order to grab their attention and get them interested in a different way, she decided to present it in the form of anthropomorphizing the stories. "Just like Disney characters become the touchstones of many children's lives, animals, new and endangered species can be made relatable through anthropomorphic tales. Create interest and love for the wildlife at an early stage, catch them young," she adds.

Stressing that children learn through many ways - visual, auditory, storytelling and role-playing, the author says that illustrations make stories come alive. In a book, they look for relatable characters, characters who are funny, scared, hopeful, adventurous, spirited, naughty, and pretty much like themselves. "The characters in the stories in 'When The Jungles Whisper!' get upset when they hear news of their kin being poached, they are anxious on their first day in school, they struggle with spelling, they love to spin yarns, and they have each other's back in dire situations - stories that resonate with children," she says.

Menon feels that while plenty of books, beautiful, poignant, hilarious and courageous stories written for young adults written in many languages around the world and available in many translations, educators can introduce these to the children and give them a slice of the world. "Set the expectations early on, accompany students to the library once a week, do some book-tasting activities, or any activities with fancy, interesting names that pique their interest. Allowing them to discuss, or share anecdotes from the book while reading and following it through with activities that get them to exchange their experiences can be inspiring and helps in creating a culture of reading. Children all over the world share similar emotions, feelings and apprehensions. Stories of war, struggle and heroism, silliness and craziness, teenage angst and melodrama exist. Teachers could compile a list of genres - some easy read, some advanced, a potpourri of a range of reading levels with the help of the school librarian, and just get the engine going."

'When the Jungles Whisper!' boasts of some excellent illustrations done by different illustrators. Once the 26 stories were completed, she started looking for people who could illustrate them. Her niece, who illustrated the cover and the back of the book, connected the author to others and set the ball rolling. "The illustrations also had to capture the region where the species were found, replete with landscape, flora and food. The visual imagery capturing some focal points of the story is what I had in mind. They delivered that successfully," says the author, who is currently working on the theme of animals and birds living on a farm in perfect harmony with each other.

(Sukant Deepak can be reached at sukant.d@ians.in)